I’ve got a friend that may put in our food plots. We are both comfortable with the price for the work itself. Hes never hauled his tractor anywhere and charged anyone for the travel expense and he’s not sure what to charge. It’s 270 miles round trip. It’s a medium sized farm type tractor with basic implements.
I’m curious about what a ballpark price would be or how you come up with it. I know there are lots of variables but just looking for a ballpark eatimate.

Apparently he doesn't do much work around the area. What's he charging for the work? He have a trailer anf truck to haul?

Food, fuel, beer…

We board horses and charge $1 a mile to haul horses to the vet etc.

Unless your definition of medium sized tractor is way off, $1 a mile should be reasonable.

It takes about $1 a mile to move my 20,000 lb 5th wheel for personal travel.

$1 each way, plus travel time. He is going to spend a half day driving instead of working.

Actual tractor size? Huge difference in a 50 horse non cab and a 100 plus horse cabbed dragging behind a truck.

You guys are quoting prices and you don’t even know what the hell he’s pulling

If he is just hauling a little 50-75 hp tractor and you are good friends, $1.35 per mile would be the minimum I would charge. If it was in fact an actual medium size farm tractor, that would be another conversation.

I do food plots for friends. Farthest I drive is 45 miles charge 1 dollar a mile plus charge for food plot. Thats a long drive for a food plot.

He only uses the tractor for personal and his lease work so he doesn’t ever charge. He doesn’t do it to make money but he’s not gonna do it as a favor. I dont know the size but I would say 50 with 75 at most.
Again, just looking for a ballpark-if y’all agreed it was anywhere between 1 to $2 a mile that would be close enough estimate for me for right now.
I agree it’s a real long haul for food plots but there are extenuating circumstances.

I wouldn’t haul it for that. I had a pickup hotshot one 400 lb. part from Odessa to Decatur last week in the truck bed. He charged me $1,312 for that little trip.

I would think a dollar a mile is way low. The tax mileage rate is just shy of $0.60/mile you gotta put extra cost/fuel of towing, you’re also depreciating a trailer etc. then profit/their time. At an avg 60 mph that’s 9 hours of drive time. How long is the work gonna take? Driver would have to go there and back empty. Just seems like something best to do yourself.

A rental tractor closer to location might make more sense dollar wise.

This might be the best idea.

$4-5 per loaded mile (one-way, in this case). I'd hire/rent local, might be easiest for all.

Agreed one of my buddies does hotshots and makes good money doing it. Helping a buddy is one thing but you are putting a lot of wear and tare on your equipment driving that long a distance.

When our lease tractor was down with a blown engine, I couldn’t find anyone who would rent a tractor anywhere in the Abilene area. You can rent skid steers all day long. Hopefully a different story for the OP’s area.

It sounds like there is already some plans being made for the food plot work, but if the guy decides not to do the work, there are plenty of tractor rental places near adrmore that could rent you a tractor and you could make the plots yourselves. Okie rents is a place jist off 35 and 199 that would be a pretty easy trip to your OK lease freerange.

I know in the last i have rented from zimmerer kubota in gainseville and gotten a tractor and disc or tiller that will make a fine substrate for a food plot , and they will even deliver. I believe their cost for delivery was free for 20 miles and then an additional 1 or so each additional. You can rent for a weekend or a week and get all kinds of work done.

Ive thought about renting the equipment but a little nervous about trying to be a farmer myself. Also, not sure I can make the time to do it. Im researching other options and the guy hauling his stuff the 270 miles round trip is just a backup plan.
Who can tell me about what it would cost to rent the equipment. Its just two plots that are 4 acres each.

Call Zimmerer Kubota and ask them. They will tell you what they have and how much